Man appears in court for local mother’s kidnapping
“One of them drove her car and on their way, they tied-up Mokgatle and put her in the boot of the vehicle.”
A 23-year-old-man has appeared at the Atteridgeville magistrate’s court after he was arrested when he allegedly pretended to be law enforcement and kidnapped a 30-year-old mother, last week.
Thabang Mokoena (23) made his first appearance on Monday, facing charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, possession of a dangerous weapon and extortion.
Mokoena was busted by police, after a multidisciplinary team swooped in on him allegedly guarding his kidnap victim in a shack in Kgabaletsane in the Klipgat policing precinct in the North West province, last week.
It is alleged that on the day of kidnapping, Tumisang Mokgatle (30) was allegedly approached by Mokoena and an accomplice, driving a VW Jetta after dropping her child off at a crèche in Wespark, Pretoria West.
NPA North Gauteng regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said: “It was alleged that on Tuesday last week the two males presented themselves to her as members of the SAPS tracing unit. They indicated that a Polo Vivo motor vehicle belonging to the victim had a twin-vehicle that had been used in various robberies in the area.”
Mahanjana said Mokoena and his accomplice told Mokgatle they were taking her VW Polo Vivo to Hartbeespoort police station for verification.
“One of them drove her car and on their way, they tied Mokgatle up and put her in the boot of the vehicle.”
Mokgatle’s car was found later that day at Hartbeespoort Dam by police.
White Volkswagen Polo was abandoned in Ifafi around 09:00.
“It is alleged that the two called Mokgatle’s brother, a practicing attorney in Pretoria, demanding R500 000 ransom money.”
Mokgatle’s was kidnapped in Atteridgeville shortly after 08:00 and her white Volkswagen Polo was abandoned in Ifafi around 09:00.
According to Kormorant, eyewitnesses on the scene said a white Audi, followed by the Volkswagen, drove into Mauser Street and stopped.
“We heard a woman scream in the Audi.”
A man then jumped out of the white Polo and got into the Audi, then the car sped off in the direction of the R511,” an eyewitness said to Kormorant.
According to her brother, Dineo Mokgatle, he received a call from Tumishang a while later, saying she was with men who said they were police.
“I even spoke to one, and he told me they were from the police’s tracing unit and there was something wrong with Tumi’s car,” he said.
He said Tumi probably realised something was amiss when the bogus policemen drove with her on the N4.
They received a message from her that she thinks she is being kidnapped.
“A tracker company was alerted and it traced her vehicle to Beethoven Street in Hartbeespoort.
It was abandoned in Mauser Street soon after and the kidnappers sped away with Tumi.
The family traced her phone to where it was thrown out of the car near a Total fuel station close by.
While her brother was at her abandoned car, he received a call from a Zulu-speaking man demanding a ransom.
Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said immediately after the ransom was made, police and the team assembled and mobilised the 72-hour activation plan.
“The multidisciplinary team intensified its efforts and followed up on several leads. Just after midnight the victim was found guarded by one of her kidnappers in a shack in Klipgat.
“The victim was immediately rescued and taken for counselling and debriefing by the SAPS hostage negotiators.
“Mokoena was found with the victim in possession of a toy gun.”
The NPA said Mokena’s case was postponed to September 23 for bail investigations.
This comes as the accomplice is still at large and the police continue to investigate.
Mathe said Mokgatle was safely reunited with her family.
The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Khehla Sitole has since commended the multidisciplinary team for reuniting the victim with her family, safe and unharmed.
“The 72-hour activation plan has yielded positive results. Within hours after the crime was committed, our teams managed to secure the life of this young woman and ensured she is back home safe and unharmed with her family. Our work is not done, we are hot on the heels of the accomplice,” said Sitole.
Police reminded the public that they have a right to request any person alleging to be a police officer to identify themselves by means of producing an SAPS appointment certificate bearing a photo, rank and date of appointment of the member in question.
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